The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi’s Princess Zahra Pavilion has won third place at the 12th Casalgrande Padana Grand Prix awards 2019/2021. The building, which started operations in 2019, serves as the private wing for the hospital at its Stadium Road Karachi campus and was named Princess Zahra Pavilion last year.
The Casalgrande Padana Grand Prix is an architecture award and a permanent fixture on the international architectural scene. It has a rich 30-year history and has had 1,800 projects entered by 1,300 designers from all across the globe. This year’s awards were decided by a seven-member jury comprising of renowned architects, interior designers and design journalists from across the world. The announcement came at an awards ceremony on May 27, 2022 at the MUDEC Museum and Exhibition Centre of Milan, a centre dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the cultures of the world.
The Princess Zahra Pavilion (PZP) won third place in the “Public Building” category. Other award categories included Shopping and Office Centres, Residential Buildings and Façade Cladding, Outside Flooring, Swimming Pools and Spas.
“Who says a hospital has to look sterile and clinical?” asks Samir Sadrudin, Global Director of Design and Architecture at the Aga Khan University. Bright, generous, colourful and delightful, the PZP redefines spaces for healthcare, says Sadrudin, adding that while winning the award was a testament to PZP’s design and architecture, and “a very rewarding experience”, the true results are reflected in our patient’s satisfaction and experience every day.
Some noteworthy architectural and design features of the Princess Zahra Pavilion include the interiors, colour, texture and flooring patterns and, decorated carpets. The ceramic flooring of the hospital, with its light, bright surfaces, offers a novel take on the textile and symbolic tradition of the Persian carpet. The decorative patterns and coloured borders add emotional value to the technical performance and hygienic qualities of the material, bringing a welcome homely sensation to the setting.
The facility was carefully designed to provide peace and tranquillity to patients as they recuperate from clinical procedures. Inspired by Islamic art and culture, the architecture and landscaping have been carefully crafted to create a calming environment that contributes to patients’ healing process and early recovery.
For more details, visit: https://www.casalgrandepadana.com/en/grand-prix/past-editions/opere/255/.
